Despite their seemingly benign intent or presence, the whole scene was terrifying Amberly beyond anything she had ever experienced before. It seemed so real, but at the same time so surreal, that she was quite certain that she was just hallucinating because of the pain. It had to be! Even as she stared, very nearly hyperventilating, Amberly was sure this was not happening. She could see right through all the figures that surrounded her and they were now wavering in and out of visibility like flames on a candle that danced in a breeze. She forced her eyes shut and screamed.
“What do you want? Leave me be, please!”
Her voice echoed off the walls of her bedroom and then everything fell silent. She opened her eyes with great timidity and she was again alone in her bedroom. She tried to slow her breathing and let her pulse calm, but her heart continued to race as she was still reeling from the episode, being so completely unsure of what was going on. Before she could do anything else, a stabbing pain pierced her abdomen.
“Oh, my God…. I am going into labour!”
Amberly fell back against the headboard and grasped fistfuls of sheets. She bellowed in agony as wave after wave of labour pains coursed through her. She had no way to call anyone and no strength to even get herself upright and mobile to get help any other way. She was not far enough along in her pregnancy to have taken additional steps for the birth. Each time she tried to move, Amberly was hit with more pain. This was it, she thought. I am having this baby now. It’s too soon, but I guess she doesn’t know that. And so, on and on this cycle repeated itself through the night until Amberly was sure she could take no more.
Many hours later, as Amberly lay in the tangled bed clothing, her body bathed in sweat and aching in places hitherto unknown to her, her daughter was born. With only natural instinct to go by, Amberly reached for the wailing infant and pulled her to her chest, the umbilical cord trailing along. The hours of labour had taken everything out of her and all she could do was lie still, hoping to recover enough to move. With her last ounce of energy, she grabbed a pair of scissors from the nightstand and cut through the cord.
The scissors fell from her hand onto the floor with a hollow clatter and Amberly passed out.
Unknown Entity
When she woke, Amberly had no idea how long she had been asleep. The baby was fast asleep on her chest. She still could not move. Even the slightest attempts were futile and she fell back on the bed with no idea of what she was going to do. She lay there and cried, certain that both she and her daughter were going die. As her daughter woke and began to cry loudly, Amberly heard a knock on her front door.
“Help! Please help me!”
Amberly sank back into the bed, praying that whoever was knocking, had heard her. She remembered with thankfulness that she had left the door unlocked when she had wandered up through the field out back and returned to the house.
“Hello?” came a voice from her front door. “You OK? Where are you?”
“In the bedroom! Just come in and turn right when you hit the small hallway!”
Amberly supposed she should have been wary of a stranger coming into her house, but at this point she was just relieved. After all that happened last night, how bad could it be? She began to cry again out of relief, joining her daughter as footsteps came quickly towards her.
“Oh my Lord, child. What in the….”
Amberly looked up as an elderly man came into her bedroom and looked down on her with a start. He immediately dropped the folder he was carrying and rushed to her bedside.
“The baby came early…. I don’t have a phone…. or a car…. I….”
Amberly burst into a loud fresh round of tears, her body racked with sobs as the reality of her situation hit home. She was embarrassed and ashamed and relieved and grateful all at the same time. The man was tall and thin, sporting 3-days’ worth of stubble on his face. She supposed this might have been frightening in some cases, but the look on his face was so beatific and serene that she had no worries at all. The man shed his parka and got her into a sitting position. He then repositioned the baby so that she could begin breast feeding.
“Do you have clean sheets?”
“Just behind you in the chest of drawers…. bottom shelf.”
He retrieved the fresh linens and grabbed a towel from the bathroom, which he sued to clean Amberly as best he could. He eased her into an overstuffed chair by the bed and then quickly whisked the soiled mess left from the impromptu birth, and remade the bed. He helped Amberly up and held the baby, while she got back into bed, then handed her the baby.
“Better, honey?”
“Yes. I do not know what would have happened if you had not come along.”
The man just smiled and shrugged like it was no big thing.
“Who are you? How did you happen to hear me? Where did you come from?”
“Easy…. easy…. just rest.”
Amberly did as he told her and, like magic, her daughter was soon fast asleep again. He pulled a chair close to the bed and sat with his folder resting on his lap. There was something eerily familiar about this man, but Amberly was positive she had never seen him before. She had no close neighbours, and she was pretty certain he had never been into the car dealership where she worked.
“I was stopping by this morning to show you something. What is your name?”
“Amberly. Amberly Simmons. And this is…. wow…. I was so unprepared for this I have not even thought of a name for her yet.”
“Amberly. What a lovely name. Anyway, Amberly, I heard about you having come to live here recently through a friend of mine, and I thought you might be interested in some of the history of your place, before you decide on living here any length of time.”
Amberly was now a bit uncomfortable. The man was calm and spoke with great tenderness and peace, but why would he care? It was certainly an odd introduction, but as she looked over, she saw a small crucifix hanging from his neck, much like the one she had always worn. Even with her rising concern, this put her mind at ease.
“What are you, some sort of historian?”
“Something like that. Everything you need to know is in this folder.”
He patted the folder gently and set it on the side table as she smoothed her hair back from her face. Amberly was thoroughly confused now, and she was sure her furrowed brow and expression must have been apparent. But instead of acknowledging it, the man stood and smiled at her.
“I was going to get myself a glass of water, if that is alright?”
“Sure. Help yourself. Glasses are in the cabinet next to the sink.”
“Can I get you anything? You OK?”
“Nothing, thanks.”
He nodded and disappeared. Amberly sat and pondered all of this. Before she realized it, she noticed that he had not gone to the kitchen, as she heard the front door open and then close quietly.
“Mister! Wait!”
Amberly forced herself up despite her sore muscles. She hugged her daughter to her chest and scampered to the front door as quickly as her body would allow. She shifted her daughter to one arm and finally got the door open, but she looked out and saw no sign of him anywhere. She walked out beyond the trees surrounding her house, checking both directions up and down the street, but all that she saw was a lone collie trotting along just down the block and the mailman making his rounds.
“Mister! You left your coat….”
Her words trailed off as she stood alone, scratching her head.
“Hi, Amberly….” the mailman said as he approached her and handed her a single piece of mail. “Aw…. you had your baby! What’s her name?”
“Hi, Pete……thanks. Yeah…. I have not named her yet. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“How long have you been out here this morning?”
“Oh…. maybe half an hour. Just up and down Beech you know. Why?”
“You see anyone hanging around here that maybe looked like he did not belong? Anyone you did not recogn
ize…. that kind of thing?”
“Nope. Just me and Admiral there.”
Pete pointed to the collie who was now running through a sprinkler in a neighbour’s yard, trying in vain to bite at the spray.
“Someone try and break in?”
“No…. nothing like that. I just thought I heard someone knocking on my front door, but there was no one there. Thanks.”
“No problem. See you. And congratulations again on the little one.”
Amberly smiled and waved goodbye, then retraced her steps back inside. What had just happened? A strange man had just come to her rescue, had given her some cryptic sort of talk about the house, and then left without another word. She walked slowly back to the bedroom. His parka was still lying in a pile on the floor where he had dropped it. She put her daughter onto her bed and tucked her in. She picked up the parka and searched the pockets…. nothing. Just an ordinary blue parka. No logo, no name……
She placed it across the back of the chair where he had been sitting and looked with suspicion over at the green folder that he had left on the side table. It was thick with papers, but otherwise unmarked. It was not like it was going to burn her or bite her, but Amberly extended her hand cautiously toward it just the same. She picked it up and retreated to the stuffed chair to look through the contents. The folder was full of newspaper articles and other handwritten notes concerning what had gone on at the property that was now her home. She read wide-eyed and incredulously as she went through each sheet.
The old man had indeed been right. This was interesting. If what she was reading was correct, and most of the information was from the newspapers, she had no reason to believe otherwise, this was an incredible story. It was no wonder the original structure was destroyed and why it had taken so long for a replacement building to go up and be occupied. She thought she had overheard something about former renters having fled from here one night, but she sure had no idea what that might have had to do with what she was reading.
She sat back and relaxed as she continued to read, as each successive article seemed to offer more and more detail on the people who had been in charge of a cult, and what they had been up to under the noses of the actual church at the time. When she was about three quarters of the way through the contents of the folder, she turned to the next photocopied newspaper story and froze. Amberly did a double take, and looked closer at the large photo that accompanied the reporter’s story. It couldn’t be! She looked a third time, just to make sure her eyes and mind were not playing tricks on her. Sure enough, the couple in the photo atop the story, a Victor Perry and a woman named Elizabeth, were the very couple who had appeared to her in the very next room the night before.
The article went on in some detail describing Victor as the leader of the cult and Elizabeth as his intimate companion. According to the reporter, it had been discovered that the two were primarily responsible for the rash of deaths that had occurred at the hands of the Righteous Warriors. Amberly was just about to flip the page and go to the next one, when she looked closer at the photo. It was hard to be absolutely positive, but if she had to guess, she would have bet that the cross hanging from Victor’s neck in that photo was the same one she now had draped from her neck.
She touched the cross, feeling its contours through her shirt and it suddenly felt wrong. All these years, the talisman had given her comfort and reassurance, as it was the only connection she had to her own origins. But now? It felt cold and foreign against her skin. Amberly lifted the chain from around her neck and held the cross up against the image in the photo. Even if the quality of the photocopy had been better, it would not have mattered. In the centre of the cross was a thin vertical line with three small diagonal lines intersecting it just where the two bars of the cross came together. The almost insignificant etching was the same on both…….
Ethereal Planes
In a flash, it all came together for Amberly as she felt her skin chill and a shiver run up her spine. The folder fell from her legs, the contents splaying across the floor. Simultaneously, she lost her hold on the necklace and it fell away, coming to rest on top of the mess of papers, ironically lying right next to the photo of Victor and Elizabeth, as they stared up at her from the photocopy.
Amberly staggered back to the bed and picked up her daughter, clutching her tightly to her breast, wondering what she had stumbled upon by taking on this house. She folded her legs beneath her, Indian-style, and hugged the baby as she rocked unconsciously back and forth. As her anxiety peaked, Amberly looked across the room and saw the man from the sofa from the night before…. the same man in the newspaper photo that had been wearing her necklace. This time, though, his image was stronger, not the flickering, semi-transparent one from before. He was now looking solid and permanent.
He moved toward Amberly and held his arms out to her. She shrank back, terrified that he was coming for her baby. She pulled her daughter tighter to herself as she moved back into the headboard, pushing frantically with her heels, until it was pushing painfully into her spine. However, as she looked again, she saw that the man was sobbing. Her emotions turned on a dime and she found herself crying too, as they looked at each other. It was nearly overwhelming to her now as the realization sunk in that she was looking at her father.
She watched as the man neared, to sit beside her on the bed, and she relaxed as he spoke. She would never have imagined that such a thing was possible, but somehow, she was able to hear and understand him as he spoke. Through enormous effort and anguish, the man apologized to her. He explained at length that he had not been well in his mind when alive, and begged her forgiveness for all his transgressions. It had taken his death and what he had experienced since then, for him to fully comprehend just how misguided and twisted his life had been when he was alive.
He then bowed his head as his sobbing cause him to shake with tremors, his contrition seemingly set to destroy him. Amberly set her daughter aside and took his hands in hers. He looked up, his face contorted in agony and anguish as Amberly accepted his apology. She felt this calmness and serenity pass through her with a sensation she had never known up until this moment. They continued to talk as she filled him in on her life and how she had come to be here, in this place that was once the site of the old Maura Community Church. A look of deep affection and love passed over his face as she spoke, replacing his tortured countenance.
As they talked, another image materialized just behind him. Amberly looked over and just off his shoulder, as the form of the woman from the photo came into full visibility as well. He introduced Amberly to her mother and they both cried as the emotional reunion with her birth parents tore at her heart. They looked lovingly upon Amberly’s daughter and the three of them just sat in peaceful silence, as the family reunion, strange as it was, was complete.
After a time, Amberly’s parents bid her farewell and promised to talk to her soon, but for now they had to leave. She understood on some level, but at the same time was sad to see them go. She watched as they faded from view and it was as if it had all been a dream. except that she knew it had not. Amberly cried again as she picked up her daughter, but this time it was tears of joy, not from fear or sadness. As she sat and mulled over this experience, she was suddenly sure of a name for her new daughter. Her mother, Elizabeth’s middle name had been Laney. That was what she wanted for her own daughter. And so it was.
…………
Amberly fed Laney and they went to bed that night, her mind at peace and feeling like all was coming together for her at last. Sure, it was bizarre and unconventional, to say the least, but it felt right in her heart and soul. As she fell into a peaceful sleep, however, what Amberly was not aware of was the turmoil and rancour that was growing in the world behind the scenes…. the one where Victor and Elizabeth had been since they had died. In the planes between worlds, this was the place where souls that were still clinging to the material world resided. A place where they were trapped as a result of how they had lived or di
ed, impeding them from moving on.
As Victor and Elizabeth returned, they were filled, for the first time with a sense of closure on how they had lived. They had contacted Amberly, their daughter, and they had been forgiven. They now felt as if they could move on at last. The spirits of all the other cult members that Victor had ordered put to death were not so pleased, however. They remained angry and vengeful over their deaths and were growing more so as he and Elizabeth returned, following their experience. As a group, they knew that they could not exact their vengeance on Victor and Elizabeth, but what they could do was redirect their anger on Amberly and her daughter.
As the night wore on, Amberly was aroused by odd sounds in the next room. She looked over to see Laney sleeping soundly, and eased herself up to see what might be going on. The storm outside had not returned, so she was baffled as to the source of the commotion. She eased through the short hallway to find the doors to cabinets everywhere, not just in the kitchen now, but everywhere opening and closing violently. The pictures flew off the walls, across the room, and shattered. Furniture rumbled of its own accord. She stared in horror and disbelief.
After a while, the activity seemed to halt and her house fell silent. She sat in the recliner, having no idea what to make of it all. She was sure the activity she had witnessed in the kitchen before Laney’s birth had been Victor and Elizabeth announcing their presence to her. But all this? She thought all had been resolved. She returned to bed and Laney, but sleep did not come so easily now. This disruption was repeated every night, but seemed to be on the rise as dishes were smashed and window panes cracked for no apparent reason.
Amberly was at her wit’s end as she could not sleep. The violent activity had escalated to such an extent that she had to flee the house at night, taking refuge in the yard with Laney, fearing for their safety. They would huddle together under mounds of blankets and coats until the mayhem indoors settled. The interior of her house looked like a war zone. The next morning, Amberly trod wearily with Laney back to the house and collapsed into the recliner after brushing all the shards of the destruction from the chair. She felt as if she was nearing a nervous breakdown and had no idea how to protect herself or Laney against the assault. She could not imagine that Victor and Elizabeth were responsible, but could not figure out where else this might be coming from.
Haunted House Tales Page 14